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Fate of Time
This is a fanfic which has no basis on the actual Wings of Fire canon. It's just merely an idea that I have had in my head for a while around certain OCs I'm attached to. It centers around one idea: if you found a way to travel between alternate realities, would you choose to use it for peace...or destruction? Prologue It was a quiet night. Just the sort of night that allowed Orpheus to slip into the dark. The thoughts of the barrier and his fellow Avians disappeared just like the sea in the misty distance. All that mattered for him at the moment was the need to be with Skye. Just a little further, he kept thinking, his feathers rustling in the wind. I have to be there. Our dragonets... they're so close to hatching. I must stay to be with them. "Why are you up at this hour?" A voice harshly growled up ahead. Orpheus dove down onto the ground, hiding in some bushes nearby a patch of forest. Up on a ridge, he spotted two figures: one Skye, the other a SkyWing who appeared a dark wine red in the darkness. "I'm just going out to find a hare, father," she answered. "Just for when the eggs hatch." "You still haven't told me about the father... or shown me the eggs at all..." A small scraping sound echoed, sending chill down Orpheus' spine. "I think it would be a nice surprise to show them when they hatch," Skye continued onward in a calm manner. "Then why is the pouch you have around your neck round?" A silence filled the air. It was proceeded by a hiss before the bag rustled, along with a thump on the ground. Sky had disappeared out of sight, but the SkyWing held the bag. His talons grabbed an egg, placing the other on the ground. A flame exited his mouth, the inside of the egg visible. Though Orpheus couldn't see, he knew that the growl exiting the dragon's mouth meant one thing: one of his dragonets showed their Avian side. "The Avians live... And you have mated with a hybrid one?" The snarl was once more met with silence. Skye must have been injured by the shove, he realized. His heart raced as the SkyWing was about to open his mouth to crush the egg, when he was suddenly dragged down, Skye's body a blur of dark pink. The roars intensified, before a loud strangled one echoed from the ridge down to where Orpheus was, his body filled with a pulsing worry. His wings moved before his mind did, his feet scuttling onto the ground in a deep panic. The eggs remained on the ground, one with a small but harmless crack, the other appeared fine. Two SkyWing bodies laid further along the ridge. One's throat had been ripped, and Skye... He crouched down, his love's breath growing ragged. "Skye," he choked out. Her eyes glanced up, giving a weak smile in response. "There's...not much time..." She answered. As she spoke, blood came from her head. The injury appeared severe. "No...not yet..." He went on. "I'll... I-I'll save you... you can't go..." "Take the eggs... N-No SkyWing will let them live," Her eyes were slowly filling with tears, her talons creeping slowly towards his neck. He reached out to hers, mouth trembling. "I love you... So much..." He told her. "I...I-I love you... too..." Her talons began to feel limp, and he let it slowly drop down. Orpheus' grief crashed upon him, embracing his beloved for the last time, tears flowing down both their eyes onto the dirt. He didn't know how long it lasted, or the exact moment she died. But twilight was approaching when he looked up, tears drying, but heart aching. Ragged breath, he held both eggs nearby before placing them into the sack. A small clink was heard, and looking down at the bottom, he spotted four necklaces. For all of us, he realized, a few more tears sliding down his face. "By all the stars in the sky," he started, "I'll make those who denied my chance to be with my love... my dragonet's lives... and the lives of my Avian brethren... pay..." Chapter One Infinite crouched into the tall grass, the sun's fading golden rays helping to blend them in an area that would've made them noticeable from anywhere else. Their eyes focused on their target: a buck, it's head lowered to casually eat grass, but it's eyes and ears at an alert stance. Just a little closer, they thought. It moved a few inches, and for Infinite, it was close enough. Springing up, they swooped down onto the buck, giving it a kill bite on it's neck. They raised their head, surveying for any potential robbers to their meal before taking the buck towards their eating spot. The Valley of Nether was already a rather empty place, but Infinite was already aware about how occasionally hybrids or rogues wandered into the area. Their own reason for living here was to avoid the huge cities, and the dragon tribes with harsh opinions about their appearance. But in truth, Infinite still wanted one thing: acceptance. Despite their best efforts, no dragon actually approached them to be friends. They either wanted to kill, rob, or do other stuff with them. Infinite finished the meal, burying the bones into a part of the field. For reasons unknown, they thought it would be rude to leave the bones of their meals above the ground. They decided to fly up the Sky Peak, a place they had named due to it being the highest point of the Valley of Nether. It also had breathtaking views of the sky, whether it was day or night. The night skies were already starting to darken, and the stars rising up as the sun disappeared over the Valley's edge. The night stirred with the sound of the gentle evening breeze, Infinite's feathers stirring with it. A shooting star fell down.'' Wishing upon one'', Infinite thought. Sounds foolish, but it couldn't hurt to try my luck. "I wish for a way to find my place in the world," they said in a whisper. A few more shooting stars fell. The world seemed to intensify, as if bracing itself from danger. But from what? Infinite wondered. As if the universe heard his unspoken words, a loud roar filled the air. A large meteor fell near the western edge of the River of Nether, a light shining through it at the last second. What in the name of Pyrrhia was that? they thought as they flew down to investigate the space rock. The water around it was boiling, and upon closer inspection, Infinite figured it was falling pretty fast as bits of grass were still smoking, but not burning. Bits of metal within the meteor were glowing, embers emitted from the heat. A new glow shined beneath the water. Infinite glanced around, took a deep breath, and dove in. The water was still warm, but they could sense the heat fading. The crystal still glowed, the light almost calling them to it. Giving a few sharp tugs, they pulled it free, and swam as fast as they could to the surface. Infinite gave a large breath of air upon returning to the surface. They had never felt comfortable underwater, the darkness almost claustrophobic. They peered at the odd crystal, it's light still shinning. Better head back to my sleeping spot, they thought with a sigh, and turned toward the eastern edge of the Valley of Nether. Both sides of the Valley had huge cliff sides, the inside covered nearly to the brim with green, the river splitting it nearly perfectly in two. Infinite preferred the eastern side as the sun woke them up in the morning, and the moon greeted them at night. Their cave was large enough to host five dragons, but they kept it hidden from view as possible with the lichen that covered the front entrance. They still had yet to map out all the tunnel exits, so they stayed within the large sleeping quarters of the cave. They placed the crystal within their view, the glow lighting up the otherwise dim room. Infinite smiled, and snuggled within their grassy bed, and sleep soon took over. Chapter Two They first woke up from the bit of heat peaking through the doorway. Infinite's eyes slowly opened up, a yawn escaping from from their mouths. Dawn light was already making the room lighter. They glanced at the crystal. It still was gently pulsing with orange and purple light. Weird, but cool, they thought, taking the crystal, and putting it into a pouch. Maybe it's good luck, and if it's bad, I'll still keep it. I don't have much to loose anyway. They peered through the cave entrance to admire the sun rising over the valley for a bit, not even a slight breeze blowing through. Then they walked down to catch breakfast by the river. Infinite always took a walk down to the lake as they liked to watch the valley wake up with the sun. Birds chirped in the treetops, flowers were beginning to open up their petals. A mouse briefly crossed his path before disappearing into the undergrowth. And the scent of fresh air helped them wake up even more. They got so distracted by this, they forgot about the small sudden ledge that lead to the river, and Infinite fell down into the cold water. Quickly leaping out, they shook their scales, and tried to keep their mind focused. You didn't drown, you're on land. They sighed, pulling their trembling wings inward. You're fine, they thought as they bend their head to take a drink. A fish appeared near their nose while drinking, and, seizing the opportunity for a nice breakfast, they snatched it right up, and swallowed it in a few bites. Although Infinite preferred to catch prey on land, they didn't mind catching a fish, so long as they were on some sort of land. "WELL, if it isn't the freak of the Valley," a voice said behind them. Oh no, they thought, both with traces of fear and annoyance running in their head at the same time, and turned their neck around rather reluctantly. Three dragons were behind them. A tough looking dark aqua green SeaWing with scars running down his snout and his shoulders was looking straight towards him. On his right was a buff MudWing that was a dark brown grey, his face pretty stern. A quirky pale SandWing was on the SeaWing's left side, black stripes running down his neck. "Yeah, you tell him Dover," the SandWing commented. "Oh, wait, I think I see a monster crawling out of the lake! Oh, never mind, it's just a stick!" The skinny SandWing gave out a howl of laughter. "Dakota, Dust, and Dover," Infinite said. "What are you guys doing here?" "Pfft, what we're always here for," Dover answered, his green eyes set on Infinite's pouch. "Riches, riches and more riches." "Well, you're out of luck, again," their said, starting to make their way back into the safety of the woods. "I still have no diamonds or jewelry of any kind." Dakota moved in the way, the MudWing giving him a bit of an edgy scowl. "Nothing shiny on you eh," Dover snickered. "Dusty boy." "Yeah Dover?" Dust said, giving him a sneer of joy. "What do pouches always hide?" the SeaWing asked, Infinite doing his best not to twitch. "Oh, that's easy boss," the SandWing answered, and slammed into Infinite, knocking them down. "Riches!" he said, trying to tear out the pouch from their neck. Infinite managed to fling the scrawny dragon off his back, but with their wings bruised, they had no choice but to flee further down the river. "GET HIM!!!" Dover shouted at his minions, and the three dragons took off. Infinite thought they could loose them, but the path ended at a ledge, rapids roaring below them. "Thistle clumps," they cursed under their breath. Three thumps echoed behind them. They were surrounded. "Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, Infi," Dover said to them. "Give us the pouch, or, well, let's just say this SeaWing isn't going to save your hide." "Never," Infinite said, immediately regretting this decision. At least before they could float to the surface, but without their wings, they could end up way beyond the Valley's end. "No?" Dover echoed. "Well then, Infi, nice seeing ya. Dakota, Dust, do the honors." The buff MudWing moved to slam into Infinite while Dust tried to swipe the pouch from Infinite's talons. But Infinite choose to drop themselves into the rapids below. Suddenly, the crystal glowed from within the pouch, and Infinite was suspended above the raging waters. "WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES IS GOING ON?!" Dover shouted to his minions. "Boss, we better head for other places!" Dakota spoke up. "Yeah, good idea!" Dust agreed with him, and the three dragons took off. The crystal gave off a blinding white glow, and as Infinite shut their eyes, their world was suddenly swept away into darkness. Chapter Three The first thing they felt was a small nudge. "H-hey, are you okay?" a voice called out to them nervously as Infinite struggled to adjust to the lighting. It was broad daylight. The sounds of a few birds as well as a river were nearby, but strangely enough, they didn't feel wet at all. In fact, they felt rather dusty. "Whoa there. Did you get into a fight or something?" the voice spoke up again as Infinite's sight finally focused in, and they looked up. A MudWing around their age was staring right at them. Infinite had a brief odd feeling surround them before realizing that she asked a question. "Wait, what?" "Hmm, you would look like a hybrid, except if you didn't have those feathers on you," the MudWing replied. "You don't look anything like any tribe I've seen before." "Wait, so you've not freaked out by the fact that I'm a hybrid?" Infinite had always thought those outside of tribes were freaked out by his feathers. Meanwhile, the MudWing gave them a quizzical look before reluctantly shaking her head sideways. "Nnno." she answered, her pumpkin and rosy red scales glowing with a candle like appearance in the sun. What's wrong with me, they wondered briefly before snapping their attention back to the matter at hand. "So, where am I?" they asked. "You're just around a few short miles away from El Pueblo de las Estrellas," she answered. "I live over there. Where do you come from?" "Um, upriver, I think," Infinite said, standing up to check the position of where they were at. "You ever heard of the Valley of Nether?" "Maybe once or twice," the MudWing answered, giving a small shake of her head as a fly was buzzing around her. "Why?" "I think I came from down there," they said hesitantly. "I was falling, and then-" Infinite paused mid sentence, and peered into their pouch. The crystal was glowing with energy, a pure white light at it's center. "Wait, lemme see that," the MudWing replied, snatching the crystal before they had the chance to ask what she was doing. " Golden white glow, hexagonal shaped facets, transportation of the wearer from danger," she spoke rapidly half to herself before giving an excited chuckle. "Oh my gosh! You're an Avian!" "Your crystal, my crystal, they're the same," she pointed out. "So they might have the exact power," "But the problem is that I don't know how to activate that power," Infinite explained, "And that means I can't go home yet." "That's true," the MudWing said before her eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey, wait you could stay with my family until you can find a way to use the crystal," "Really?" they asked her. Infinite didn't really have such close contact with dragons who were friendly. But I don't have any other options, they thought. Plus any other dragon would shun me for being the way I am. "Okay, I'll come," they answered with a small grin, but it was just covering up their homesickness. "Great," the MudWing replied. "Just follow my lead," she said as she spread out her wings. "Wait, I can't fly right now," Infinite called out to her before she took off, displaying their wing's bruises. "Well, we can always walk." she stated. "Besides, it's not that far." She turned to walk towards the marshes ahead of them. "By the way, I'm Aluma, what's your name?" "Infinite," they answered. "Nice name," she answered as she lead the way. Walking through here would seem better if I wasn't so far away from my home, they thought to themselves. If only I knew how to get back. Chapter Four Infinite's wings still were sore, but a short time later, Aluma paused and grabbed some leaves. "What are you doing?" they asked curiously. "They're comfrey leaves," she answered. "It'll help relieve the soreness for a little while." She squeezed the leaves together, the juice leaking onto their wings. It stung a little on the open wounds, but the pain faded after a few seconds. "Better?" she asked, throwing away the shriveled comfrey away. "Better," they said, able to open their wings, but not fly just yet. They both continued to walk. At this point, the sun was already starting to fall towards the west. A few buildings were visible on the horizon, easily spotted due to the flatness of the marsh. A welcome sign was on the left side of the road, with a few words that Infinite couldn't understand. "Welcome to El Pueblo de las Estrellas?" they said confusingly. "What does that mean?" "Heh, it's in a language that ancient MudWings in this area made up long ago," Aluma told them. "Only a few villages nearby still teach it. It translates to 'The Village of the Stars', probably because we have good views of the night sky." The village was bursting with MudWings and the occasional passing SkyWing. Most of them gave Infinite a few strange looks, but after giving the walking crowds a small shy grin, the dragons dispersed. Aluma headed towards a bakery that Infinite smelled before they saw a glimpse of the sections of the pastries available. Two MudWings managed the front, a few others were replacing the shelves with fresh bread, and a few more still were baking and preparing the ingredients to make the dough. One of the MudWings glanced up at Aluma and Infinite. "Aluma, what are you doing-WHOA, what in the moons of Pyrrhia are they?" she asked her, pointing towards Infinite. "It's...a long story," Aluma said hesitantly. "Where's mom? They need help." Infinite stretched their wings a bit but winched as they ached, closing them back in. Not going to be able to fly anytime soon back home, they thought sadly. But it might give me time to figure out why there's no AviWings or any other feathered dragons here. "I think mom is in the garden," the MudWing replied, "Wait right here." The dragon then went further down the back of the counter. Shortly afterwards, a door closing sound was heard. "That was my sister, Carnelia," Aluma said, stretching her legs out. "Over there is my other sister, Robin," she stated, pointing toward the reddish brown dragon at the counter, "And you'll meet my mom, Carmen, in a few minutes." Infinite decided to rest on the floor for a bit. Standing up was okay when their wings were alright, but they felt off balanced at the moment. A few minutes passed, and Carnelia returned with a bigger MudWing Infinite presumed to be Carmen. The dark brown ginger dragon approached Infinite with a confused look at Aluma. "My little pumpkin, I know you help strangers," she spoke in an unusual accent, "But this one is stranger than usual." Aluma gave a rather anxious look. "Can you help them at least?" she asked. Carmen sighed. "Alright, but they might have to stay in the guest room for around three days. Any less could prevent their wings and..." she paused to glance at Infinite's feathers for a second, "...'Scales' to heal." "Five days?!" they said. "I can't stay that long!" "Well, you're lucky our mom has offered her service," Carnelia replied. "Thieves and murderers would turn themselves in to even get help from her." What choice do I have, they thought for a second. "Okay," they said with a sigh, "Fine. Where's the guest room?" "I'll lead you to it," Carmen said. "Carnelia, it's near closing time, prepare to get the last few orders in. Robin," she said, while the reddish MudWing perking her head over the counter, "Get a count of how much we made today, and give an equal portion of pay to the workers." "Si mama!" Robin answered. "And Aluma, fetch me some herbs and bandages from my medicine cabinet, it'll take a while to get them fixed up a bit." "Okay!" the golden orange dragon exited to the door, where Infinite saw a glance of their home. "Um, will I have to drink any medicine?" They asked a bit uncertainly to the MudWing. "Yes," she replied firmly, "But it's only because I think you may have a small fever, and to kill off any infections. I don't doubt Aluma's medicine skills, but from where she found you, she didn't have much to work with." To this, Infinite's face and ears went down in a rather sour manner. Chapter Five The first day, Infinite was stuck inside the house for the whole day. The food Carmen made was nice, but they only got to be with Aluma to stetch out their wings. "Your muscles will get weak if it doesn't get a chance to do something," Carmen explained. And as expected, the first stretch was incredibly painful. The second day, Aluma showed Infinite around town. It was mostly lined with shops near the streets, but behind them were rather nice houses. Most of the dragons living in them were MudWings and SkyWings, but they caught the scale pattern of a RainWing. A small dragonet bumped into their leg, and gazed up at their feathery appearance. Infinite wondered if he was going to say something offending or become scared and run away. Instead, he simply said "Hey there," and the dragonet's mouth curved into a smile of awe. After lunch, Aluma approached Infinite. "What's up?" Infinite asked. "Um, the sky?" she answered. "Anyways, do you want to try to figure out how the crystals work?" "Yep," Infinite said, wanting to get back to their home. "Found anything?" "Well, not yet," she said hesitantly. "But guess what? There's going to be a Festival de Las Estrellas Ardientes, the Festival of the Blazing Star! It always happens two days from now. Much of the local history says that the village was found because of the meteors." "And this matters how?" Infinite asked, not completely sure where this was going. "I was thinking about the murals on the walls of the caverns near the town," Aluma went on to explain. "Our ancestors were always observant of the minerals around here, so there's bound to be something about your crystal." Infinite paused for a second to consider it. "Beats being inside here, and no offense, but a patch of the bedding had something that smelled like old beans." They rushed through the village, the displays filled with anything about the festival. Bright moon blue and white ribbons were being placed across from apartments by young dragonets, and blue columbines were placed outside windowsills. A natural stone arch marked the eastward entrance. The start of a mountain sloped up in the distance, giving hints of dark reddish brown. A hawk cried out elsewhere, and steady patches of wild greenery were around them. Alumna then sudenly turned down a ledge which appeared a bit jagged. "You sure you know where we are going?" Infinite asked her, noticing a few dragons heading up the incline. "Trust me, I've lived in the village all my life," Aluma told them. "Plus, this way is less crowded at this time of year." The cavern expanded into darkness, and Aluma picked up a torch in the visible light. She lit the flame and held it firmly. Both continued to walk forward, an above their heads, Infinite began to make out the curious shapes and figures of MudWings, SkyWings, and even the occasional SandWing. Gentle dapples of reddish pinkish minerals glittered in the light. Drips of water echoed as they entered a large part of the cavern. Dragon whispers and candles lined the left part of the room, but Aluma turned to the right towards a narrowing end. "Wait, why not over there?" Infinite questioned. "That's the more common part of the walls, the specifics on every type of crystal are down here," Aluma said, pointing her tail towards a low hole. "It's a tight fit, so I'll go first," she went on. She slipped under easily despite her MudWing build. Infinite gave a small flush of admiration, which was then interrupted by a prod on their foot. "You coming or what?" she asked. "Yeah, hold up," Infinite said, and scrunched themselves up as small as possible to fit inside the hole. A few rocks scraped their wings, but nothing too serious. Aluma lit up her torch again, and markings of all kinds near every gemstone filled up the room in a dazzling rainbow. One gem in the center, however, matched Infinite's own crystal unique glow. They peeked into their pouch, and to their surprise, it was already lighting up. It was in perfect sync with the crystal, glowing calmly then fiercely, like a wave. "Whoa," Aluma said in awe. "So, can you tell what the markings say about it?" they asked. Aluma hadn't responded, so Infinite waved their tail in front of their face. "Oh, sorry," she said. "Your eyes kinda changed from blue golden brown," "Oh, it does that when I feel a certain gender." they stated. "Which is...?" she asked hesitantly. "Feminine." "Okay then," she replied, turning back her attention to the markings near the crystal. "So according to the carvings, it says it's a Cristallo Temporal, translated, it means Time Crystal. Only found during the time of the Festival de Las Estrellas Ardientes." Infinite's ears perked up in surprise. "That's two nights away," they said. "Almost sounds coincidental that your ancestors celebrated on that day," "Yeah, it does," Aluma spoke, her brow furrowing. "Said to be able to control time with the power of the dragons with the wings of the stars," "NightWings?" they asked, thinking how their wings had glittering scales resembling stars. "No, look over here," she answered, pointing to a cave painting. Two MudWings were talking to a mysterious figures resembling dragons, but not just a NightWing; other tribes that Infinite recognized. "DeathWings, DriftWings, MistWings, IceWings, all of the tribes are up there," Infinite stated in awe. "Are you familiar with these tribes?" Aluma asked. "You should know about how to use the crystal then." "Well I know their names, but I never seen anyone summon them with a Time Crystal," they continued, pointing to the previous pictures MudWing wielding the precious stone in an unusual form. One showed them turning the crystal on to reveal the mystical tribes, and another turned the crystal off. Infinite, curious, decided to try and mimic the pose. A sudden pause occurred in their crystal's synchronized glow. It dimmed, but still glowed a gentle amber. The other crystal continued to pulse light as if nothing had happened. Silenced filled the room, the small crackling of the torch making Aluma's face filled with wonder, then splitted with concern. "We better get going. The torch might not last much longer, and besides, now that you're better, you can help out with the bakery. It gets crowded near any festival, and we could always use an extra pair of talons for these days." "Okay then, let's go," Infinite answered, placing their Time Crystal in their pouch, and followed after Aluma squeezed out of the room. Chapter Six Infinite was placed into use by bringing up bags of flour and pouring it into a large tub for to make bread. By the time dinner came around, they looked like a ghost, as Aluma commented. But she was helping out decorating the pastries, and both were sent to the back of the house to wash out before Carmen served their meal. After she closed the shop for the night, Infinite thought they could go to the main house to go to bed, but Carnelia pulled their tail back. "Hey, it might be closed, but we have to decorate our store for the morning. The whole pueblo practically loves our displays since it's near the time of the festival. Come on, feathered one," she said in an accent similar to Carmen's." Aluma gave them a laugh, and Infinite, not wanting to disappoint her, followed along. It was mostly large moon colored streamers and white stars painted onto the shop, but Aluma was having difficulty with hanging them up, and Infinite observed their stars were more like globs. "Want to trade?" they asked. "Sure," she replied, and the work was done much faster. Infinite climbed into their bed at last, and curled up, opened their pouch and glanced at their Time Crystal, still glowing dimly. They gave a sigh and glanced at the moons outside their window, one nearly full, another just a thinning crescent in the sky. Soon, I'll find my way home, they thought as sleep overtook their vision. Somehow... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... They awoke to a rooster caw from a house nearby. Infinite yawned, and shook their feathery crest. Today was the day they would be able to find another Time Crystal, and possibly find a way home. The previous day during their break, Infinite tried to awaken the crystal, but it seemed to refuse. "Maybe it's because it's near the time of the festival," Aluma commented. "Or it could be because it's not a real one," Robin chimed, to which Aluma gave her a slightly crossed look. As the day blurred with the unknown amount of time in the kitchen, their patience withered, and the only time they got a relief from it was when Aluma passed by to refill the tray to decorate the pastries. "Don't worry, the shop closes about an hour before the festival," she told them at lunch. They were both given trays of delicious tacos served with a side of chips. "Have you tried flying yet?" "Yes," they spoke. "My wings are healed, so I should be able to go on my way tomorrow." Their feathery crest lowered. They realized after tonight, they wouldn't see Aluma again. She'd still be living her life in her pueblo, and wouldn't be able to go with them. Aluma must've noticed their shift in tone, since her ears perked up in concern. "You still don't know where your home is," she asked. "Nothing from the locals," they admitted. "They only say that I don't belong anywhere in Pyrrhia. That'll change when the comets fall tonight," they continued. "Maybe something will happen," "Me too," she said. "Okay, feathered one, and my sister, let's get back to work," Robin called out to them. "No more breaks until sundown," Carnelia chimed along. The work seemed to go fast. More dragons showed up in the shop, carrying decorations of blue and white, and the occasional star earrings. Only a few customers still gave Infinite odd looks, but none of the dragonets seemed to mind them much. Finally, the crowd started to slow. The few times Infinite brought some freshly baked goods, they saw the sun was starting lower into the horizon. Then came the moment they had waited all day for. Carmen lead every customer out the door. "Thank you for coming! Have a good time at the festival!" she said in her accent. She shut the door behind them, and the open sign was switched with the closed one. "Okay everybody, now we can prepare to watch the meteors fall down. We only have two hours before the festival begins, so that means we'll have to work fast!" she said, and everyone in the bakery gave cheers. As the dragons dispersed to help prepare the meals, Aluma came up and nudged them with a bag. "We might want to get another look at the cavern before the festival starts," she said. Then she turned around and called out to her mother. "Mama! I'm going to go to the caverns to view the paintings again!" "Be careful not to disturb the ancestors, especially this close to the festival," Carmen answered back. Both Aluma and Infinite took off, Infinite taking a second to glance at the sky view of the village and elsewhere. The dragons were starting to head to a slope where it appeared to be flat. Somewhere nearby a lake was filled with water. A few large stone pillars were near it's shores, but they looked too odd to have originated there. "What are those made of?" they called to the MudWing. "Those are the oldest meteors," Aluma stated to them. "My ancestors carved them up. Their shadows appear in a perfect circle to mark the time where the meteors will fall." They landed at the slope, the trail abandoned of dragons except a few footprints. They walked through the main hall as it was vacant of the previously existing crowds. "Why is nobody here?" Infinite asked Aluma as she took a torch and lit it up. "Our ancestors apparently never intruded the caverns during the festival for odd reasons. Some of the townsfolk believe it's for dangerous reasons, but my mama says it's due to the fact that a special part of our ancestors gathered in here to perform some powerful magi-" "Wait, what's that?" they interrupted and pointed with their tail towards the left narrowing end of the tunnel. The small crevice leading to the cavern of gemstones was glowing strongly with orange and purple lights. Both exchanged glances, and Aluma poked her head inside. "You got to see this," she said in awe. Infinite crawled right behind her. All the gems were lighting up, and the brightest one was that of the Time Crystal. Infinite got their own Time Crystal out, and it was glowing in the same fashion. "What does this mean?" they asked her. "I don't know," she said. "But it must mean something," Infinite then saw some words began to glow around the cavern, and they began to bend themselves into the familiar language of Dragon. Whispers of ancient words echoed into their ears. They blinked, and found themselves seemingly in space. A small diamond shaped form of life began to glow, and took the form of a TempestWing. "You finally awoken me," the dragon spoke in a calm, but excited feminine voice. "What? How did I do that?! And why are we floating?!" The TempestWing shushed them with a wave of their tail. "You are in the Mindscape, a place where a potential or trained Time Crystal user can be able to enter and communicate with their mentor, a spirit of a Time Crystal user of the past. I am Ethereal, one of the youngest users of the Time Crystals Guard, which ended nearly three thousand years ago." "Three thousand years?!" they exclaimed. "Indeed, but that is a tale for another day," she answered. "You have the potential to wield the crystal for great good, but beware the dark talons who may attempt to use them for evil," "Why me?" Infinite asked. "We have sensed the rising of a dragon who is close to awakening themselves and their forces upon all of the realities similar yet different than your own, as well as your friend, Aluma." Ethereal went on. "We thought this day would never come, but we must call upon any dragon willing to answer our call to stop them before the realities are torn to shreds," "Wait, how will I do that, I barely know how to turn down the crystal's glow?" Infinite asked. "And how do you know about Aluma, you just met me?" "Aluma's ancestors were close allies of the Time Crystal Guard, and a few of them became part of it as well. Not surprisingly, Aluma is a descendant of one of the guards. And don't worry, I will help you control the crystal now that I have been awoken." Eretheal's tail touched their shoulder. "Now, place your tail on my shoulder and I'll take you back to Aluma. She is getting a bit concerned about you at the moment." Infinite did as the grown TempestWing commanded. Ethereal lowered her neck, and pressed their head onto their forehead. Energy emitted from them, and she opened her eyes, full of white light. Infinite shut their eyes, and woke up from the Mindscape, and collapsed onto the ground, the experience still making them tremble with fear and uncertainty. Aluma lowered her head her ears perking up in shock. "Are you okay? You started to say something about the dark talons, and evil. What happened?" Infinite's tail went over their head, wiping sweat from their brow. "Your ancestors were more accurate about the Time Crystal than you thought." Chapter Seven Aluma sat down almost quietly after Infinite told everything they could remember about the experience. The sun was giving off the last embers of day by the time they finished the tale. "So, there's a spiritual dragon helping you from inside that crystal?" she spoke, surely uncertain of the events they described. "Yes," they answered. "And apparently, they can help me go back to where I came from, an alternate reality." Both stared at the ground, realizing that they might be seeing each other for the last time. But she didn't say I had to leave now, they thought with a glimmer of hope. And maybe it'll be nice living in a world without having to worry about Dust, Dakota, or Dover for a while. "Maybe I can stay to see the meteors fall down," they said, spotting Aluma's ears perking up before lifting her head. "Really?" she asked. "Okay then, we better head to the highest peak around here." Both took flight again, Aluma taking the lead towards a large peak that seemed to head to continue onward to the SkyWing Kingdom. There seemed to be a large plateau near the top, so Aluma stopped there. Infinite did their best to land, but a breeze knocked them off course, and left them landing awkwardly. "I guess everyone has a rough landing every once in a while," Aluma said, unpacking the satchel she took filled with food." Infinite got up, shaking the bits of dirt off their feathers. "I guess so," they said, glad the darkness covered their small blush. They turned their head to the sky, munching on the still warm burrito. The stars above them felt closer than ever, glittering with gentle icy blue colors. A distance away, many lanterns lit up where a few hundred dragons gathered. "So I've been meaning to ask you," Aluma said to them. "What sort of family do you have back at your home?" "Wait, what?" Infinite replied, realizing they had been zoning out. "You always looked a bit confused around my family," she continued, "so I was wondering if your family was less chaotic. Is it?" she asked, her ears perking with interest. Infinite was silent, gulping the last of their meal, curling up their tail at the uncomfortable subject. "I don't really like to talk about my dad," they said. "Why's that?" Aluma said, giving them a concerned look. Infinite sat up on their hind legs, gazing up at the stars above. "I wasn't born a normal dragon, even compared to my world. I had the sense that he wasn't my true dad, as his tribe can't have any hybrids. Multiple times I've tried to ask him where did I come from, or what I even was, but he only replied with the fact that he was proud to call me his kin." They gave a small sigh. "That was before he disappeared without a trace. I was barely six years old when that happened, so at least I was able to learn how to take care of myself. But it still bugs me that he never left a note as to where he went. Just some sort of closure would comfort me." Aluma gave them a sympathetic look in her eyes. "My dad used to be around my mom, but after seh found out that he was a illegal smuggler, she gave his secret to the authorities. Even though he was good around us, and did bad things behind my mother's back, I still have some sort of concern for him. I visit him once in a year, and he's starting to understand what he was doing was wrong. But it was all to try and help my mom reach my dream, so in the end, I guess I still care for him." All of the sudden, a bright light whizzed outside the brim of Infinite's eye. Both them and Aluma turned around, and saw another fall down. "It's starting," she spoke. Hundreds of falling stars were heading down towards the horizon. Most were small, but a few were large. They shined with bright blue brilliance. The river in the distance sparkled with the colors in the otherwise dark night. The peak holding the festival was hushing the glow of the lanterns as many gazed up to the starlit darkness above. Remembering a small myth about falling stars allowing wishes to come true, Infinite gave a small sigh.'' I wish to see my father again. I wish to get a chance at love. '' I wished I wasn't the only one at the moment who had to save the world. Just as they thought of it, they heard a small rustle in the grass nearby. "What was that?" Aluma asked them, trying to figure where the noise had come from. "I can't tell," they spoke, using their large ears to pinpoint whoever, or whatever was out there. An eerie silence echoed the cliffside, the stars seemingly stopped falling, which didn't help to find the stranger. A growl sliced through the night, and Infinite was attacked by the dragon. Both tussled, and they struggled to get the dragon off their backs. It wasn't until their crystal glowed that they saw it was a furious looking DeathWing. It's eyes brimmed with a dark amber fury, hissing as it was aiming for their neck. Suddenly the DeathWing's weight was off them. Aluma slammed her tail into the dragon. It gave out a groan, then lifted it's head towards the sky. Aluma and Infinite turned as well, a loud sound filling the air. A final falling star was approaching the earth, glowing brighter and brighter as it exited the atmosphere. It gave off an unusual shine, similar to Infinite's crystal. And that's when they realized their crystal's glow matched the falling star. Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Content (Feather the Everywing) Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)